Assignment tab types

terminalInternal

Shell on a declared container or VM. Native PowerShell on Windows VMs — no Guacamole needed.

type: terminal hostname: workstation cmd: su - iggy # optional workdir: /root/workshop # optional

Gotcha: without cmd:, the shell opens as root. Use cmd: su - <user> to drop into a non-root account, or cmd: screen -xRR to auto-attach to a multi-pane session.

serviceInternal

HTTP server on a declared host port. Routes through Instruqt’s proxy.

type: service hostname: workstation port: 5000 path: /docs # optional custom_response_headers: # optional - "Content-Security-Policy:"

Gotcha: client-side fetch() calls must use relative paths only. The browser cannot resolve internal Docker hostnames. For iframe-blocking apps: use custom_response_headers: to strip X-Frame-Options and Content-Security-Policy.

codeContent

File or directory editor on a declared host. Path can be a single file or a folder tree.

type: code hostname: workstation path: /root/app.py workdir: /root # optional

Pattern: pair an editable starter file with a second code tab pointing at a completed reference as a built-in hint. path: as a directory renders a folder-tree explorer.

browserContent

Cloud console browser tied to a virtualbrowsers block.

type: browser hostname: aws-console

Gotcha: requires a matching virtualbrowsers entry in config.yml. Use this for provisioned cloud consoles, not arbitrary URLs.

externalExternal

Embedded URL frame — an external site rendered inside the lab UI.

type: external url: https://docs.example.com

Use when: the destination is a vendor’s own web app the platform shouldn’t proxy or authenticate to.

websiteExternal

External URL tab. Supports ${_SANDBOX_ID} interpolation in the URL.

type: website url: https://example.com new_window: true # optional

Gotcha: URL must be HTTPS. An http:// URL causes instruqt track push to fail validation. Pair with new_window: true to pop a non-iframable site into its own window.

Across all tab types

Add new_window: true to any tab to open it in a separate browser window instead of the lab’s tab strip — useful for cramped service tabs the learner wants to expand.
Tab order in tabs: is the display order. Index references in assignment markdown (button) are zero-based. Reserved tab IDs “assignment” and “feedback” are built-in; reference them in custom_layout without declaring.
workdir: on terminal and code tabs sets the open directory per-tab — cleaner than per-challenge set-workdir when different challenges need different directories.
Service tabs requiring graphical applications must run on a VM — Instruqt containers do not support a virtual display server. Web-based IDEs (code-server) are unaffected.
service versus website: prefer service for in-sandbox apps when you want CSP-header stripping; use website for sandbox-public URLs, external SaaS forms, and anything needing new_window: true.